%0 Journal Article
%A Karimullah, Karimullah
%A Widdig, Anja
%A Sah, Shahrul Anuar Mohd
%A Amici, Federica
%+ Research Group Primate Behavioural Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society
Department of Human Behavior Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society
Research Group Primate Behavioural Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society
Department of Human Behavior Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society
%T Understanding potential conflicts between human and non-human-primates: A large-scale survey in Malaysia :
%G eng
%U https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-0009-DA3C-F
%R 10.1007/s10531-022-02386-w
%7 2022-03-01
%D 2022
%8 01.03.2022
%* Review method: peer-reviewed
%X With increasing anthropogenic pressure, interactions between humans and wildlife may
become more frequent, including conflictual ones. To reduce conflicts, it is important to
understand how different factors (e.g. education, previous experience, demographic vari-
ables) interplay with each other and contribute to the emergence of negative attitudes and
behaviours toward wildlife in humans. To address this issue, we conducted a large-scale
questionnaire in Malaysia, focusing on potential conflicts between human and other pri-
mates. We used generalized linear mixed models to assess how formal education, knowl-
edge about primates, negative experience and potential competition affected participants’
negative attitudes to primates (i.e. how humans perceive primates), their behavioural inten-
tions (i.e. opinion on how to reduce conflicts) and behaviour (i.e. measures taken to reduce
negative interactions). We found that negative experience and potential competition had
a negative impact on participants’ attitude and behavior (i.e. primates were more likely
perceived as filthy, as negatively affecting residents’ health and safety, and as an increas-
ing problem, with participants more likely to use invasive methods, including captures).
Both higher education and better knowledge of primates predicted more positive behav-
ioural intentions (i.e. primates should be protected, non-invasive interventions should be
used). Higher education, however, was also linked to more negative attitudes (i.e. primates
negatively affect residents’ health and safety), and partly to negative behavior (e.g. use of
invasive methods). In contrast, better knowledge about primates predicted positive behav-
iour (i.e. exclusive use of non-invasive methods). Therefore, although better knowledge of
primates had no clear effect on human attitudes, it may impact on their decisions to reduce
potential conflicts with wildlife, and might be the most powerful tool to mitigate conflicts
between humans and other species
%K education; attitude toward wildlife; behavioural intentions; environmental knowledge; experience; Competition
%J Biodiversity and Conservation
%O Biodiversity Conserv.
%V 31
%& 1249
%P 1249 - 1266
%I Chapman & Hall
%C London
%@ 0960-3115